According to the usual processes for continuous manufacture of such articles, a continuous film of plastic, for example of polyethylene, is unwound from a reel and coated with lines or strips of adhesive of the hot melt type, individual absorbent pads which are at a distance from each other are deposited at intervals onto the film and then a continuous strip of permeable material, for example a strip of nonwoven, is applied onto the film and onto the pads so as to adhere to the said sheet at least along the lengthwise edges of the latter. When these articles are provided with lengthwise elastic members, continuous elastic members are coated with adhesive at least at intervals and are deposited in the stretched state onto the film before the application of the permeable strip onto the latter.
These known processes have a certain number of disadvantages.
Thus, the use of reels of polyethylene film imposes handling constraints and involves losses in time when the reels are changed. Bonding together the various constituent elements of the articles of hygiene (outer sheet, inner sheet, elastic and other members) involves a relatively high consumption of adhesive and imposes significant constraints (speed limitation, accuracy of application, etc).
Moreover, in the case of nappy-pants manufactured according to the usual processes, in the case of which the outer sheet adheres to the absorbent pads only along lines or strips at a distance from each other, the resistance and especially the tear resistance of the outer sheet of the nappy-pants is often inadequate to permit, after a first adhesive bonding, an unbonding of the adhesive fastenings with a view to their repositioning.
The subject of the present invention is a process for the continuous manufacture of articles of hygiene such as nappy-pants eliminating the constraints due to the use of polyethylene film in the form of reels to form the liquid-impervious outer sheet of the articles of hygiene and eliminating or at least considerably reducing the use of adhesive, for example of the hot-melt type to bond together the constituent elements of the articles of hygiene, as well as the constraints resulting from the use of adhesive. Another subject of the invention is a process for continuous manufacture of articles of hygiene enabling articles of hygiene of improved strength to be obtained.
A further subject of the invention is articles of hygiene such as nappy-pants manufactured at a reduced cost.